Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-05-07
THE BOX In THE CORNER.

1" 10 SUNNI 1CttlS siHtB was station
MASTER baggage-agent, telegraph-oper-
itor and ticket-seller at little village near
iome valuable oil wells The station-house
was quite a distance from the unpre-
:entlouc thoroughfare that had grown up
IN day, and my duties were so arduous
that l had scarcely leisure for weekly
lifting to certain mansion on the hill
Where dwelt Ellen Morris, my promised
wife. In fact, it was with the hope of
essenlng the distance between us that |
1ad undertaken these quadruple duties.
The day had been gloomy, and toward
he afternoon ominous rolls of thunder
pretended storm.
Colonel Holloway, the well-known
reasurer of the oil company, had been in
he village several days. About one
o'clock he came hurriedly into the Office
With package, which he laid upon nv
iesk, saying:
"Take care of that, Bowen, till to-
morrow. I'm going up the road"
The commission was not an unusual
,ne, and my safe was one of Marvin's
1est. 1eounted the money, which footed
ip into the thousands, placed it in the
,fficial envelope, affixed the seals, and
deposited it in the safe. As turned
way from the lock, voice at the door
aid:
Say, mister, can you tell me the way
o the post-office?"
A sort of shock went through me at
he unexpected presence that seemed to
1ave dropped down from nowhere, and l
'ephed, irritably:
"You could not miss it if you tried.
Keep straight ahead"
Soon large drops of rain came down
hen faster and more furiously, until
he air was one vast sheet of water
md little rivers leaped madly along the
yuilies and culverts. Forked lightning
Kept pace with the pealing thunder, and
heavens own artillery seemed let loose.
Anything more dismal or dreary could
lot well be imagined, and gradually the
oneliness grew oppressive. Every strag-
yler had fled to shelter, and the usual
dlers had deserted the platform. But
,esolutelyse to work at thedry statistics
If the station books, with an occasional
all to the wires, which were ticking like
mad, 80 fierce was the electric current.
1t was near five o'clock when long
reigbt train came numbering by, switched
,ff car or two, then dragged its slow
ength onward. This created brief di-
1ersion, then once more was deserted.
The next passenger train was not due
ill ten o'clock. 1 lit the lamps and re-
igned myself with questionable patience
o the intervening hours. An agreeable
Interruption came in the form of my
upper, which was brought in water
proof basket by sort of jack-at-all-
rades whom we called Jake. Shaking
himself like great dog, he "'lowed
here want much more water left up
7onder nohow."
81 hope not, indeed" l said, glad Of
he sound of human voice. "Jakem p
called, as he left the office, ''come
pack as soon as you can-I may want
Tou."
] had a vague idea of dispatching
lome sort Of report to Ellen that | had
rot been entirely washed away, and OBJ
aiming similar comfort as to her own
late. | little thought l should really
need him.
l think ] am not by nature moro
;imid than other men, but as the dis
nal evening closed in took from M
iesk two rcvolvers kept ready for pos
sible emergencies, and laid one upon the
1esk where | was making freight en-
;ries, and the other on the table where
:hc electric battery stood. At inter
rails fresh package for the night ex-
press was brought by some dripping
carrier, who deposited it, got his re-
ccipt, hung about for few moments,
then hastcncd away to more comfort
able quarters.
Still the rain poured in torrents. 1t
must have been nearly nine O'Clock
when wagon, hurriedly driven, sud-
denly stopped at the platform. In a mo-
ment the door was flung open, and saw
small ambulance well known about the
village. Twomen sprang out, and, with
the aid Of the driver and his assistant,
proceeded tolift out box which from its